How to Be Happy: A Guide for the Performer

Performers need positive energy to wow their audience, both on stage and in life. Tap into your star power to keep the exuberance flowing. Applause, applause!

File Under HappyPeople who savor warm fuzzy memories tend to be happier than those who dwell on bad times and regrets, according to a study in the journal Personality and Individual Differences. To keep the good stuff top of mind, create a posterity folder in your inbox and take literally one second to transfer emails that make you happy. Visit the folder anytime for an instant pick-me-up! Consider broadcasting your most triumphant moments onmybestthingtoday.com

Act OutSing in public; chat up a stranger; wear a crazy hat. Acting extroverted—being more talkative, adventurous, bold or assertive—lifts your mood more than acting quiet or reserved, according to a study from Wake Forest University. Good news for the shy or introverted: Extroversion can be turned on like a light. Flip the switch!

Pick Up a Pleasant HabitOur hella schedules keep us from doing what we love. Enter habits, those moves, like tooth-brushing, that we make every day by default. Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project, suggests kick-starting a happy habit—brew your favorite tea at bedtime, kiss your partner before work, install a Bluetooth speaker in the shower. That way you’ll ensure at least one hit of happiness each day. Use the Habit Factor Lite app to set up three new happy habits.

Make a MantraIt’s easy for Performers to slip into self-doubt—what if my voice cracks? What if I’m not funny? But a powerful antidote, according to a study in Psychological Science, is self-affirmation—yep, just like the “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough” speech from Stuart Smalley on Saturday Night Live, only one that works for you. Download the free iPhone app Unique Daily Affirmations for some inspired suggestions.